Fertilizer distributor



Aug. 7, 1928` 1,680,064 w. J. POPE FERTILIZER DISTRIBUTOR Filed March 1o, 192e 2 sheets-sheet 1 W mfpof Aug. 7, 192s. 1,680,064

l W. J. 4PfJPE FERTILIZER DI STRIBUTOR Filed March lo', 1926 2 sheets-sheet Patented ug. 7, 1928.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM J'. `POPE, OF PLANO, JILLINOIS.

:Fnnrrniznn DISTRIBUTOR.

Application filed March `10, 1926. `Serial No. 93,594.

This invention relates to manure spreaders or 'fertilizer distributors, and more par# ticularly to the olieiatingl and controlling` mechanism therefor. One of the objects of the invention is the provision of new and improved mechanism orintcrmittently ad-` vancing the fertilizer conveyor.

Another obfeet et the invention is the provision of new and improved means for advancing or changing theoperation of the conveyor `mechanism at the will of the operator. y

A further object of the invention is the provision of new and improved means for throwingl the operating` mechanism into and out of gear. i i

A still further object of the invention is 'the provision of a new and improved '[ier tilir/ier distributor that is simple in construction, cheap to manufacture, readily assem bled1 eiicient in opeation, easily manipu-` lated; composed of few moving parts7 and that is not likely to become broken or get `out of order. Other and further objects and advantages oit' the invention will appear from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. in which Fig. l is a plan view ot' the device Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical section thereof;

Fig. 3 is a side elevation thereof, with the rear wheel removed and the axle in section, and with parts brokenaway; y

Fig; Ll is a side elevation, with `one of the rear wheels reinovedand the `axle in section; and

Fie. 5 Fig. 3.

n the drawings there'lierence character l() designates a vehicle on which the distributor i'iiechanisni ismounted, and comprises a body 11 whichis `adapted to be supported at the rear end by the axle 12 .and wheels 13 in the` usual .mannen` The front end ,of the body is supported. by the iront axle 14 and the wheels i5. The 'trent axleV lll is constructedafter the manner oit the front axle of an i. automobile and eom- `prises the intern'iediate section 1G on which the :liront end of the body is mounted, and stub axles 17 which are-pivotally connected to the ends of `the intermediate section` "16. The; stub axles are each providedfwith a rearwardly extending arm i8 rigidly `con :nected thereto. The arms 18-are pivotally is a detailfview `on line .5-#5` et conneetedtogether by thedragr lint: `19.` A tongue member 2l is pivotally connected "to the axle lll as at 22 and is provided with a rearward extension which is pivotaily `connected to the drag link as at 23. A. tongue 2a is pivotally connected to the tongue member 2l as at 25. i

` By means of this arrangement the turning` of the `tongue 2li will cause a turningr movement ot each ot thestub axles l? in the direction inwhicli the tongue isturncd. This arrangement pern'iits a short turning' movement ot tliieveliicle.

The vehicle is provided with a body having the sides 2G, the iront end member 2T and the bottom member 28. The rear end oit the body isleit open as .is usual in such eonstructimis.

"The distrilnitor mechanism is mounted en the body and comprises an endess conveyor 29 which extends about suitable sprockets il() and lil at the 'iront and rear `ends el the body. The conveyoris oit the usual o." any well known construction,` ccmprising the sprocket chain 32`at each side o'l'- the vehi cle which engages the sprockets 3() and Si. The chains are connected together bysnitable cleats or Strips 33.

Suitable means are providedtor intermittently movingI the upper run of the een veyor belt rearwardly for carrying the :leiI- tilizer te the rear et the body. `As shown, the shaft 3d on which theV sprockets 3() are mounted is provided with a ratchet wheel 35 rigidly `connected theretoiat one side ol tbc vehicle. Jin operating);l lever C-l is loose ly or rotatably mounted on the shaft Iii and is provided with a `pawi zl'T `Por engaging the teeth o'lf the ratchet wheel 'l'i." A. paw 3S`is adapted to engage the ratchet wheel for holding the same in adjiuited position.

The rear end ol' the body isprovided with a rotating; `distrilinter 3S) and with a rotating beater 4l. as is usual in such construe tions. These members are provided with arms L2 and it?) resiiiectively, in the usual manner. The distributor n'ielnber 39 is ro- `tated by means of the gears i7 and 41S. rl`he gear 48 is rigidly mounted on the axle 1Q or wheel i8 'and turns therewith. Thebeat er 41 is operated in any suitable n'ianner` from the distributor member. Als shown, the shafts of each are provided with spree/lis `ctsi) and 5l around; which is trained the sprocketchain 52.

Suitable means are provided for oseillatltermittently operating the conveyor.

shown, the distributor member 39 is proing the arm or operating lever 36 for invided with a crank 44. This crank may, if desired, be formed by extending the shaft of the distributorI member 39 and bending the same toV form a crank. i n

A spring or otherresilient member 46 secured to the body and to .the operating lever 36 tends to'hold said lever in a `forward position.y v

A In the operation of the device the rotation i ofthe rear wheels will cause the distributor limiting the forward movement'of the operating lever during the operation of the device. This is accomplished by allever 53 A pivoted on the body and whichlis adapted to e held in any one of a plurality of notches 54 onthe. holding plate 55. A rod 56 attached to the lever 53v at its forward end extends rearwardly through the guide 57 and isprovided with a laterally extending portion or bent end A58 which is in the path of movement of the lever 36. When the rod is moved rearwardlythe lever 36 will of course have avshort movement and consei quently the conveyor, while it will be opertance.

the distributor. V'employed for this purpose.

ated regularly, will move but a short dis- Whenfit is desired that the conveyor be 'moved its maximum'distance at veach rotation of the crank 44 the lever 53A is moved forwardly, ywhich will `permit a greater movement of the operating lever 36.

.It is desirablethat means `be provided for disengaging the driving mechanism from `Anysuitable means may be As shown, one end of' the ,shaftV 45 of the distributor member is mounted in a plate 59vwhich is slidjablypmounted on the side of the body.v The plate 59.is operated by means of a rod 61 Vwhich ,is pivotally connected to a lever 62'? mounted on the side of the body.. The lever V62. is adapted to engage notches 63 in a holding plate `64. When the lever is moved forwardlyv it -willV move the gear 47 into fmesh with the gear-48 whereby the device will be operated Vwhenthe .vehicle is pulled along the ground.

VVY'hen it isdesiredto throw the device out KK of gear the lever '62 is moved rearwardly,

disenga ing the teeth-ofl thegear 47 from 4those o the gear 48.

In the operation of the device, the fertilizer or manure, such as rotted straw, refuse and the like` is loaded into the body of the machine, and after driving the same to the field where it is to be scattered, the device is thrown in gear, the lever 53 set at the proliier adj ustmcnt to distribute the required amount of manure per unit of ground surface, and the machine driven over the ground to be fertilized. The force and movement of the vehicle will cause the conveyer belt to advance step by step, carrying the manure rearwardly where Ythe material is loosened by the beater 41 and the manure scattered over the ground by the distributor as the vehicle is pulled along.

If it is desired to distribute the manure thicker over the ground the lever 53 is moved forwardly, which will permit a longer stroke of the lever arm 36 and a consequent longer movement of the conveyer at each rotation of the crank 44.

It is throught from the foregoing taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, that the construction and operation of my device will be apparent. to those skilled in the art, and that various changes in size, shape, proportion and details' of construction may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination, a vehicle, manure spreader mechanism mounted on said vehicle, said mechanism comprising a rotating distributor having a shaft extending;` across said vehicle, a conveyor, a conve or shaft journaled in the rear portion of said vehicle for operating said conveyor, means including a single crank on said first named shaft and a lever intermittently oscillated by said crank for advancing said conveyor step by step, and means extending to the front of the vehicle for adjustably limiting the return of said lever for regulating the rate of movement of said conveyor.

2. In combination, a vehicle, manure spreader mechanism mounted on said vehicle, said mechanism comprising an endless belt conveyer, a shaft at each end of the vehicle over which said belt conveyer is trained, a ratchet wheel ri idly mounted on one of said shafts, a pawl or engaging said Vwheel, a lever having one end loosely mounted on the ratchet wheel shaft, a pawl carried by said lever and adapted to operate said ratchet wheel and conveyer, a distributor shaft, a crank on said shaft for engaging said lever forl moving. the same in one direction, means for automatically moving said arm in the opposite direction, and adjustable means for limiting the movement of Vsaid lever in the return direction.

3. In a manure spreader, a vehicle having front and rear wheels, a gear, means to cause said gear to rotate with one of said Wheels, a distributor memhei provided With a shaft having a crank on one end thereof, a pinion on the other end of said Shaft `for engaging' said gear, means for disengaging said pinion from said gear, a shaft having sprockets mounted thereon at each end of the vehicle, an endless conveyer member extending about and engaging said sprockets, a ratchet Wheel on one of said last-named Shalite, a holding pavvl for engaging the teeth on said ratchet Wheel, a lever pivoted at one end oseillatahle in proximity to said ratchet Wheel, a working pavvl on Said lever for engaging the teeth ot Said ratchet Wheel, a spring 'for holdinfir Said lever in the "path of said Crank, an adjustable stop for limiting the return movement of the lever, and means for adjusting said Stop from the front of said vehicle.

In testimony whereof I aHiX my signature.

WILLIAM J. POPE. 

